PES Council, Madrid, 1-2 December 2008

PES Council is a major gathering of European socialist and social-democrats. It brought together more 240 delegates from the PES member parties and numerous guests and PES activists. The Council takes place each year without a Congress and it helps shaping PES policies.

In 2008 PES Council took place in Madrid, from 1-2 December, and it focused on adopting the PES manifesto for the 2009 European elections. After a consultation launched by the PES in 2007and a drafting period, PES member parties adopted the final manifesto at the Council. The PES Council marked as well the launch of the elections campaign at European level.

Following the success of the PES Council in 2007 and PES Congress in 2006, where PES activists were a lively presence that marked a new way of integrating grassroots into European politics, activists were present in this important socialist gathering.

Over the last few days the PES has worked hard to tackle two very important issues. First of all the PES organised together with the Global Progressive Forum, the Socialist & Democrat Group in the European Parliament and the Arab Social Democratic Forum a conference on the refugee crisis in...